Inside Moises Caicedo's conversation with Liam Rosenior that inspires him to work even harder
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Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo shared the conversation he had in his first meeting with new head coach Liam Rosenior in January.
Caicedo has so far featured in 10 of Rosenior's first 11 games at Chelsea across all competitions.
It is therefore safe to say that Rosenior sees him as a key member of the Chelsea team.
"In my opinion, as a defensive midfield player, I wouldn't want to sit next to anybody else in world football," Rosenior said about Caicedo last month.
"That’s what I think of Moi; he knows that as I’ve told him."
The Chelsea boss has indeed told it to Caicedo himself, and the midfielder admitted that the statement has motivated him to try even harder to prove himself.
"The first day he came in, I had a meeting with him," the Ecuador international told Chelsea's in-house media team when speaking about Rosenior.
"We talked about myself because he watched a lot of our games, especially me.
"So for sure he wants to help me to become an even better player, that’s why he came here as well.
"It’s so good to hear that because it helps you a lot to keep doing well and keep improving.
"He wants the best for you, so I’m trying really hard every day, in every game, to show why he said I’m one of the best players."
While his midfield partner, Enzo Fernandez, may have stolen the limelight in recent weeks with his offensive output, Caicedo remains an invaluable defensive outlet for Chelsea.
The 24-year-old currently still tops the Premier League in interceptions (46) and ranks 10th in tackles (64), despite playing fewer games than most of his competitors due to his recent suspensions.
His defensive prowess is a big part of why Chelsea are averaging the third-highest possession (58.5 percent) in the league.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.